Lock-switch



W. J. NEWTON.

LOCK SWITCH.

7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 19|9- 1 ,333,090. A Patented Mar. 9, 1920. E7. J 59. 2 F7 5 fl INVENTOR eff/424m ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. NEWTON, 01E BRIDGEIE'ORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T HARVEY HUBBELL, INCORPORATED, OF BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

LOCK-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Application filed June 4, 1919. Serial No. 301,602.

vide a lock switch in which an exceedingly sim 1e form of locking mechanism shall be com ined with ,an equally simple switch of the toggle type, and which shall be thoroughly effective and practically impossible to get out of repair, the switch being adapted for general use and especially adapted for use in automobiles, as in controlling and locking the magneto or the lighting system. The invention consists in certain details of construction which will be hereinafter described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

a In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my novel lock switch;

Fig. 2 a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 a rear elevation;

Fig. 4 a view corresponding with Fig. 2, partly in section and partly in elevation, the switch being shown as locked in the open circuit osition;

Fig. 5 a section on the line 55 in Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 a central vertical section, the parts being in the closed circuit position;

Fig. 7 a section on the line 7-7 in Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 a perspective view of the locking member detached;

Fig. 9 a perspective'view of-the cam detached; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the switch base detached. A p denotes the face plate, 21 the hub of a lockprojecting therefrom, 22 the barrel of the lock, 23 the switch frame, which is ordinarily U-shape and is secured to the face plate, 24 a housing which incloses both the switch mechanism and the lock mechanism, and. 25 the switch base which is set into a correspondingly shaped recess in the housing and is provided with a shoulder 26 which rests upon the outer face of the housin The course of the current is from one bin ing screw 27 to abase contact 28, and from the other base contact 28 tothe other bindmg screw 27 The circuit is closed between the base contacts by means of a contact 29 which is carried by, but insulated from, the contact arm 30 of a bell crank contact lever which is pivoted between the side pieces of the frame. The other arm of the bell crank contact lever, indicated by 31, I term the toggle arm. This arm is loosely pivoted to the inner arm of an operating lever 32 which is pivoted between the side pieces of the frame and is provided with a hand piece 33 which extends through a hole in the face plate. The toggle arm of the bell crank contact lever and the inner arm of the operating lever, which are loosely pivoted together, comprise a toggle joint. This joint 1s retained at either extreme of its movement, the switch bein in either the open circuit or closed circult position, by means of a compression spring 34 which is carried by the toggle arm, washers being preferably interposed between the ends of thespring v and the contact arm and the inner arm of the operating lever, respectively.

The function of the locking mechanism is to lock the switch in the open circuit position, as in Figs. 4 and 5. The contact arm is provided with an extension, which I term the locking arm and have indicated by 35. This arm is adapted to be engaged by a,

locking member 36 which is,provided with an angle arm 37. The locking member is shown as provided withear's 38 which are pivoted on a pin 39 extending between extensions 40 of theswitch frame. 41 denotes a spring coiled about the pin and hav ing extended arms, one of which bears upon the locking plate and the other upon the 1nner side of the faceplate. The action of this spring is to throw the locking member to the locking position, as in Fig. 4, (as

when used in connection with a magneto) in which position it will be noted that the looking member dogs or blocks the locking arm of the bell crank contact lever and locks sald lever in the open circuit position.

"The locking member is swung to the re- I leasing or unlocking position, as in Figs. 6 and 7 by means of a face cam 42 WlllCh 1s 'rotatably mounted on the inner end of the lock barrel and is retained in place by an actuating plate 43 whlch is secured to the end of the barrel. The actuating plate is provided with shoulders 44 which are adapted to engage bosses 45 on the outer face of the cam to impant rotary movement thereto, and the cam is provided with shoulders 46 which are adapted to engage a pin 47 projecting from the inner end of the lock hub and serving as a stop for the cam at the end of each half rotation in either direction. Spring 41 normally throws the locking membet to the locking position and locks the contact lever in the open circuit position, as in Figs. 4 and 5. Starting with the locking member in the locking position, to unlock the switch, the key is applied to the lock in the usual manner and the barrel givenaan entire rotation. When the actuating plate has made a half rotation from the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, (the rotation being counter clock-wise from the position in Fig. 5)" the forward shoulder thereon will engage the right boss on the cam, and completion of the rotation of the barrel will carry the cam to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7. During this movement the operative wall of "the cam, indicated specifically by 48, will engage the angle arm of the locking member and will swing said member, against the power of spring 41, from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 6, which leaves the switch unlocked. To look the switch again the barrel is given a reverse rotation. The instant the cam passes out of engagement with the angle arm of the contact member, spring 41 will throw the locking member to the locking position again. When the locking memberis in the unlocking position, the switch may be operated freely to open or close the circuit. To open the circuit it is simply necessary to move the operating lever from the position shown in. Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 4, the movement being in fact completed by spring 34 which will act the instant the toggle joint is swung past its dead center. The unlocking engagement of the cam with the angle arm takes place during the last portion of the movement of the cam, and the release of the locking member takes place during the first portion of the movement in the opposite direction. In the locking position the flanges 49 of the locking member rest upon the switch frame. The movement of the barrel, and of the cam, in each direction is stopped by the engagement of one of the shoulders on the cam with pin 47 in the" end of the hub. In this position of the barrel," and in no other, the key, indicated by 50, can be inserted in the barrel or removed therefrom. It will be noted that the switch can not be locked in'the closed circuit position. Supposing the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 6, should the operator turn the barrel to the position shown in Fig. 4, spring 41 would throw the locking comprisin member down into engagement with the end of the locking arm, the operating lever reto the open circuit position, spring 41 would instantly throw the locking member to the locking position, as in Fig. 4, and lock the switch in the open circuit position, use of thekey being required to unlock it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: Y

1. A mechanism of the character described comprising a bell crank contact lever having a locking arm and a toggle arm, an operating lever, one arm of which is loosely pivoted to the toggle arm, said arm of the operating lever and the toggle arm comprising a toggle joint, and a spring controlled locking member adapted to engage the locking arm of the contact lever.

2. A mechanism of the character described comprising a bell crank contactlever having a locking arm and a toggle arm,an operating lever, one arm of which is loosely pivoted to the toggle arm, said arm of the operating lever and the toggle arm comprismg a toggle joint, a sprlng on the toggle arm acting when the toggle joint passes its dead center in either direction to throwthe contact lever to the extreme of its movement, and a locking member adapted to engage the locking arm of the contact lever.

3. A mechanism of the character described comprising a bell crank contact lever hav-- ing a locking arm and a toggle arm, an 0 erating lever one arm of which is loose y pivoted to the toggle arm, said arm of the operating lever and the toggle arm comprising atoggle joint, a spring acting to throw the toggle joint to either extreme" of its movement, and a. locking member adapted to engage the locking arm of the contact 7 said joint to either extreme of its movement,-

and a 7 spring controlled locking member adaptedto engage the locking arm of the contact lever 5. A mechanism of the character described a bell crank contact lever having a lockmg arm and a toggle arm, an-op- Y erating lever one arm of which is loosely pivoted to the toggle arm, forming a toggle joint, a spring actlng to throw said joint to either extreme of its'movement, a. spring.

controlled locking member adapted to en,- gage the locking arm of the contact lever and having an angle arm, a rotatable lock barrel, a face cam loosely mounted on said barrel and adapted to engage the angle arm, and connections'between; said barrel and said cam whereby the camis given a half rotation corresponding with each rotation of the barrel and the locking member is caused to lock or release the contact lever.

6. A mechanism of the character described.

swinging the locking member to the unlocking position.

7. A mechanism of the character described comprising a bell crank contact lever having a locking arm and a toggle arm, an operating lever one arm of which is loosely pivoted to the toggle arm, said arm of the operating lever and the toggle arm comprising a toggle joint, a spring acting to throw the contact lever to either extreme of its movement, a spring controlled locking member adapted to engage the locking arm and lock the contact lever at one extreme of its movement, a rotatable lock barrel, a face cam loosely mounted on said barrel and adapted to engage the angle arm, and operating connections between said barrel and said cam.

8.. A mechanism of the character described comprising a switch having a contact lever provided with a locking arm, a spring controlled locking member adapted to engage the locking arm to ,lock the contact lever atone extreme of its movement, a rotatable lock barrel, a face cam loosely mounted on said barrel and adapted to engage the angle arm to swing the locking member to the unlocking position, bosses on said cam, an actuating plate secured to the barrel and having shoulders adapted to engage the bosses and impart rotary movement to the cam, and means for stopping the cam at the end of each half rotation in either direction.

9. A mechanism of the character described comprising a switch having a contact lever provided with a locking arm, a spring controlled locking member the edge of which is engaged by the locking arm to lock the switch in the open circuit position, and key controlled means for moving the locking member to the unlocking position, the locking member being adapted to engage the end of the locking arm should the key controlled means be operated while the contact lever is in the closed circuit position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM J. NEWTON. 

